Despite progress in leukemia therapy, most adult patients with leukemia still die from disease progression. Arsenic trioxide, an inorganic compound, has been approved for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and is being evaluated as therapy for other leukemia types. Preliminary data from China and the recent experience in the U.S., however, suggest a role for arsenic trioxide in the other hematologic cancers as well. Consequently, the activity of arsenic trioxide as an anti-leukemic agent is currently being investigated in many types of leukemia. Although the results look favorable in terms of the response rate of some of the leukemia types that are being investigated, systemic toxicity of arsenic trioxide is a problem (Soignet et al., 1999; Wiernik et al., 1999; Geissler et al., 1999; Rousselot et al., 1999).
The only organic arsenical (OA) manufactured for human use, melarsoprol, has been evaluated for antileukemic activity (WO9924029, EP 1002537). Unfortunately, this compound is excessively toxic to patients with leukemia at concentrations used for the treatment of trypanosomiasis. Therefore, there is a need to identify arsenic derivatives that can be used for the treatment of hematologic malignancies and cancer in general, that have similar or greater activity and lower toxicity than arsenic trioxide.